1. Field of the Invention.
The invention relates generally to hose and clamp assemblies and, more particularly, to a hose and clamp assembly wherein a clamp is assembled onto a hose with an elastomeric envelope that is bonded to the hose.
2. Description of the Related Art.
Reference will be made in the following description to the radiator hose art in order to facilitate an understanding of the structure, function and significance of the invention. However, and as will become quite apparent hereinafter, the invention may be utilized to advantage in quite different environments.
In the assembly of automotive radiator hoses, it is the typical practice for a hose manufacturer to mold or otherwise suitably form a predetermined length of flexible hose for installation on a particular vehicle in accordance with the distance between the engine block and the radiator fittings to be placed in fluid communication by the use of such hose. The length of the hose is preferably held to a minimum to save material and cost while being just long enough so that the opposite ends of the hose will project over the respective fittings to a sufficient extent to enable a subsequently installed hose clamp to tightly engage the hose ends about the fittings for a fluid-tight connection.
Thus, the respective hose and clamp manufacturers deliver their products to automotive plants where numerous separate storage facilities are required in accordance with the number of different types and sizes of hoses and clamps required to be maintained on hand until a need for them may arise. Similar storage facilities are required on the assembly line. A worker on the assembly line will select different hoses and clamps depending upon the particular vehicle on the assembly line; different kinds and models of vehicles are often assembled on the same assembly line. The worker then assembles the selected hose with the appropriate hose clamps on a given vehicle.
As a typical example of such an assembly operation, in assembling a single radiator hose on a vehicle assembly line, the assembler will first grasp a hose of proper size from one storage area and a pair of clamps from another storage area, assuming that the same size and type of clamp is to be used on opposite ends of the hose as is the usual case. The assembler then slides both clamps onto the hose, manipulates one of the clamps toward one end of the hose, slips that end of the hose over its associated fitting, and tightens the clamp onto the hose and the fitting by using a power-driven screw driver or the like. Thereafter, the worker will shift the other clamp to the other end of the hose to make the other connection in a similar manner. In many instances, one of the clamps is not tightened down at the initial assembly station in which the first clamp is tightened. The free clamp may slide off the hose while the vehicle is in transit to a subsequent assembly station where it is to be tightened.
In the final analysis it is necessary to handle three separate parts as the vehicle moves down the assembly line in assembling each radiator hose, there of course being two such radiator hose and clamp assemblies for each vehicle. During manipulation of the clamps onto the hose during the assembling operation, it is extremely important for the assembly line operator to properly position the clamps at the respective end portions of the hose to insure that, once they are tightened, a proper fluid tight connection results. Notwithstanding the importance of making this fluid tight connection, due to the press of time available on the assembly line while the various parts are being manipulated, it often happens that one or more of the clamps are canted off the end of the hose or otherwise disposed thereon in such a manner as to result in leakage with obvious deleterious consequences.
Contributing to this aspect of the problem with known hose assemblies is the fact that such clamps are very difficult to handle while using the power-driven screw driver to tighten the clamps. That is, the clamp has a tendency to rotate about the axis or body of the hose when engaged with the power-driven screw driver, requiring that the assembly line operator actually grasp the clamp to hold it in position during this operation. Furthermore, and as alluded to above, it often happens that both clamps are not tightened down at the same station at which they are placed on the hose, resulting in the free clamp dropping from the hose while it is in transit to a subsequent station.
Accordingly, three basic methods for assembling a clamp onto the end of a hose have been developed. In one method, the clamp is stapled to the hose. However, this method pierces the hose which can result in the hose tearing when under stress with a subsequent loss of the fluid tight connection. Also, the stapling operation must be carefully controlled in order to assure that the staple does not pierce the interior wall of the hose which could disrupt the fluid tight connection. Further, the damaged materials would have to be replaced, causing great waste.
The second method for assembling clamps onto the end of a hose involves gluing or otherwise adhesively bonding the clamps to the hose surface. However, this method is not durable as the adhesive bond may fracture when the hose and clamp are subjected to flexing such as occurs during installation of the hose into a vehicle.
The third method, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,218 entitled Hose and Clamp Pre-assembly, and which was issued on Jan. 23, 1968 to R. T. Dynes, involves a pair of opposed tabs which are molded to the surface of the hose. The hose clamp is received between the molded tabs and held in place until the hose is installed in a vehicle. However, this system requires loosening each clamp prior to the final assembly or holding the clamp diameter to tight tolerances. Finally, this method is inconvenient when working with small clamps.
Therefore, it would be useful to provide a device for assembling a clamp onto a hose that was secure, integral with the hose, and which did not require that the clamp be loosened prior to final assembly. Similarly, it would be useful to provide a means for retaining a clamp on a hose thereby circumferentially and longitudinally orienting the clamp relative to the hose such that neither circumferential rotation nor axial movement of the clamp with respect to the hose is possible.